Gesthika shares how she is mixed-ethnic as her dad is Greek and her mom is Japanese. She voices how sometimes she feels not Asian enough and not white enough. She values mental health and walking alongside people and hence chose counselling and psychiatry as specializations. She conveys that openness is key, and courage is important to speak up to navigate uncomfortable conversations about racism.
Gesthika Kaltsidis (she/her) recently completed her graduate studies in Counselling Psychology and Psychiatry at McGill University. As a budding scientist-practitioner-advocate, her evolving academic and professional interests lie in the realms of mental health, cultural diversity, and social justice. She has been involved in service evaluation research through McGill and the Douglas Research Centre in Montreal, spanning different populations, including the homeless and socially-housed, frequent emergency room users, and marginalized youth. Currently, she is collaborating on a first-of-its-kind initiative that seeks to investigate the implementation of an evidence-based supported employment and education program among youth receiving services at integrated youth hubs across Canada. She is also a licensed guidance counsellor working in private practice in Quebec. In her free time, Gesthika enjoys being active and in nature, exploring arts and cultural events, trying different cuisines, and spending quality time with loved ones.
